Journalist of the Year Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Journalism Education Association

Intro
The Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarships — named for JEA’s longtime treasurer — honor the nation’s top high school journalists. The competition starts at the state level. State Journalist of the Year winners are forwarded to the national round; national winners are revealed at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. JEA awards scholarship funds paid directly to the recipient’s college or university account: $4,000 to the top scholar and $1,200 each to as many as five finalists.

Eligibility and How the Contest Progresses
- The contest begins with state-level competition. State winners become eligible for the national contest. After state judging, the state director or designated official may return the winning portfolio to the student for minor revisions or corrections suggested by judges.
- If a state does not have a state director, students should send their portfolios to the JEA director listed under that state name.
- International applicants should submit to JEA’s global engagement director. At the judges’ discretion, up to three international portfolios may advance to the national competition, with no more than one entry per country.
- Applicants must be high school seniors (or the international equivalent).
- The applicant’s adviser must hold current JEA membership.

Deadlines
- All entries at the state level must be filed according to that state’s deadline with the state director or designated official.
- State winners advancing to the national competition must have their applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. CDT on March 15.

National Application Components
State JOY winners complete an online application and must provide:
- Contact information
- An uploaded transcript (PDF)
- Three letters of recommendation (PDF)
- A résumé (PDF)
- A personal narrative describing their scholarship journalism experience (PDF)
- A URL linking to an online portfolio that showcases examples of their work

Important notes before beginning the online form
- The application cannot be saved and resumed later; be prepared to complete it in one sitting.
- Prepare your résumé and personal narrative in a separate document (e.g., Word or Google Doc) and save them as PDFs to upload.
- Scan or convert your transcript and recommendation letters to PDF before uploading.
- Have the URL of your online portfolio ready.

Portfolio Organization and Content
Create an online portfolio and organize work samples according to the categories used on the judging rubric. Suggested categories include:
- Reporting and Writing
- Editing, Leadership and Team Building
- Design
- Broadcast Journalism
- Photojournalism
- Web and Social Media
- Law, Ethics and News Literacy
- Marketing and Audience Engagement
- Commitment to Diversity (work demonstrating commitment to diversity may appear in its own section or be embedded in other categories)

Each entry (artifact) in the portfolio should include a brief, clear reflection that covers:
- Whether and where the work was published (if applicable)
- Any contest entry and placement, if relevant
- A concise explanation of the piece: the assignment, challenges faced, special circumstances, and why the work was selected for the portfolio (aim for under 100 words; make it easy to read and revealing about your role and decisions)

If you have questions about submission destinations or eligibility for international entrants, contact the appropriate JEA state director listed under your state or the JEA global engagement director for international entries.